Formation of dye images in a silver halide color photographic material is, in general, effected by the coupling reaction of the oxidation product of an aromatic primary amine color developing agent, which is formed when the silver halide grains in an optically exposed silver halide color photographic material are reduced by the color developing agent, with couplers incorporated in advance into the silver halide color photographic material. Since colors are generally reproduced by a subtractive color process, three kinds of couplers capable of forming yellow, magenta and cyan dyes, respectively, are used.
Factors affecting color reproduction include the spectral sensitivities of the photosensitive picture-taking material, the correspondence of the spectral sensitivities of the photosensitive printing material to the spectral absorption characteristics of the yellow, magenta and cyan dyes formed in the photosensitive picture-taking material, and the spectral absorption characteristics of the yellow, magenta and cyan dyes formed in the photosensitive printing material. Thus, spectral absorption characteristics are particularly important factors affecting color reproduction.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,685 discloses a method of improving color reproduction by using a specific combination of yellow, magenta and cyan couplers. Although such a method provides a marked improvement in color reproduction, it cannot satisfactorily maintain the quality of the magenta color image formed therein.